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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: scale · swing · safe · sharp · chip · file · wind · stand

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. swing — music
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. file — a document
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. swing — in golf
  8. stand — to bear
  9. swing — to play on
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. scale — size or range
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. file — a line of people
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. chip — for betting
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. file — a tool
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. scale — in music
  21. chip — to eat
  22. sharp — clever
  23. wind — moving air
  24. wind — moving air

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com